In the days after the announcement, commentary on the ban took a decidedly pessimistic turn. Some immediately questioned whether China would adequately enforce the new rules. Wildlife experts in Africa took a very cautious view of the development (paywalled link). The New York Timespointed out secondary motives for the ban: that it “reinforced” President Xi’s anti-corruption campaign and “allowed China to burnish its image” as an environmental leader (also paywalled). Others noted that until major neighboring markets like Vietnam, Thailand and Japan are shut down, no amount of enforcement in China is likely to seriously dampen demand for ivory in East Asia.

Trump-China update

The uncertain future of Sino-American relations after Donald Trump becomes president continues to generate headlines. Politicoprofiled Wilbur Ross, Trump’s pick for commerce secretary, who has fallen in line with the president-elect’s tough talk on China in recent months, but has a long history of business and cultural ties with the People’s Republic. Ross has assembled “a formidable collection of Chinese art,” contributed to relief efforts after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and spoken approvingly of the Chinese Communist Party’s five-year plans.

Meanwhile, Bloombergreported that Trump has chosen China critic Robert Lighthizer to head the U.S. Trade Representative office. And this morning, Trump himself tweeted the following: “China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won’t help with North Korea. Nice!”

In addition, the China scholar Geremie Barmé has published an essay on the similarities between Mao Zedong and Trump, noting “some disturbing parallels” between the chairman and the president-elect.

State support for digital currency technology as Bitcoin surges above $1,000

As predicted in the SupChinaQ&A with Bitcoin entrepreneur Eric Mu, published at the beginning of December, the price of the virtual currency has broken through the $1,000 level. Many analysts cite increased Chinese controls on capital outflows as a factor. Although Chinese banks are prohibited from undertaking Bitcoin transactions, Crypto Coins Newsnotes that a document published by the State Council, which outlines the information strategy of the current five-year plan, indicates support for blockchain, the technology that underlies Bitcoin. (The original text in Chinese is here.)

On SupChina: Cashing in on dystopia

Today we publish an article by David Bandurski on how companies are, for a modest fee, offering access to an astonishing array of personal information about Chinese citizens, including a full history of hotel rooms checked into, airline flights taken, apartments rented, and even deposit recorded from the country’s four major banks.

More China news worth reading is linked below, with the more important stories at the top of each section.BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

First China-U.K. freight train departs Yiwu for London / BBC
“China has launched a direct rail freight service to London [from Yiwu], as part of its drive to develop trade and investment ties with Europe. China Railway already runs services between China and other European cities, including Madrid and Hamburg. The train will take about two weeks to cover the 12,000 mile journey and is carrying a cargo of clothes, bags and other household items.”

Couple held in China are free, but ‘even now we live under a cloud’ / NYT (paywall)
Kevin and Julia Garratt, Canadian Christian aid workers who lived in the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong, have been released after spending two years in detention, accused of being spies. Meanwhile, the Guardian has an interview with Swedish legal rights activist Peter Dahlin, who spent 23 days in a “black prison” in Beijing accused of funding “radical political activists.”

Show of force in Xinjiang sends hardline message / SCMP
“Authorities in Xinjiang staged a massive show of force in an antiterror exercise and rallied police for a public oath-taking ceremony to ensure stability in the region just days after attackers ran a car into a county government compound. Presiding over the events on Saturday was the region’s Communist Party chief, Chen Quan­guo, who was transferred to the region in recent months and was well known for his hardline policies during his previous posting in Tibet.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

WEI WATCHA regular feature about what’s buzzing on Chinese social mediaGun regulation in China
A woman in Tianjin was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for possession of six illegal guns. The guns were used at her balloon-shooting stall, where she claimed they were merely recreational, but police said they met the legal definition of firearms. Debate ensued on social media, with some arguing that China’s gun control laws are too strict and others worrying that their cooking utensils might be seen as deadly weapons, and still others voicing support for strict regulations. You can find much of the Weibo commentary here (in Chinese).Social media mourns a cartoonist and an animator
Tyrus Wong, a Chinese American artist who created iconic sketches for Disney’s animated classic “Bambi,” died aged 106 on December 30. The New York Timessays that his work was inspired by the paintings of the Song dynasty. On January 1, Alfonso Wong, the creator of one of Hong Kong’s most popular cartoon series, “Old Master Q,” died at the age of 93. (see this South China Morning Postreport for video and images.) The loss of two great artists triggered a chorus of grief on Weibo: here are threads on Tyrus Wong and Alfonso Wong.

Government declares food safety an urgent priority / Xinhua
State media today focused on a speech by Xi Jinping on need for strict regulation to ensure food safety for ordinary Chinese people. Contaminated food scandals have plagued the country for decades.

Smog red alert for northern China / China Daily
China has issued a red alert for air pollution. There was a “brief break from lingering smog” on Monday morning, but skies were grey again by evening. “The smog is forecast to last until Sunday in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, as well as other neighboring regions.” Some schools organized internet “live-streaming classes” for students in Xi’an so they would not have to venture outdoors.

Limited victory for man in transgender dismissal case / BBC
A resident of Guiyang who “was born a woman but identifies and dresses as a man” was fired from his job a health centre. He sued his employers; the court found that he had been illegally dismissed, “but said there was not enough evidence to rule he had been fired due to discrimination against transgender people.”

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‘Critical’ journalism in China, explained by Maria Repnikova

Outside observers typically view China’s media as utterly shackled by the bonds of censorship, unable to critique the government or speak truth to power in any meaningful sense. In part, this is true — censorship and other pressures do create “no-go” zones for journalists in China, as well as gray zones that sometimes rapidly turn […]

Michael Yamashita’s Photo of the Day

Rabbits in colorful cages for sale at a temple fair near Lianhuachi Park in Beijing in 2010 during the Spring Festival celebration. At these fairs, which are popular during this time of year, vendors sell food and sometimes pets.